Me Thinks

One of my favorite things in life is when I feel God speaking to me.  It rarely happens when I am busy or engaged in an activity, but rather His voice speaks in quiet moments.  Sometimes a thought comes into my mind while I am praying, or when I am in bed.  Sometimes I receive a prompting during my prayers.  Often when I put myself in places where I should be, like at church or in the temple, I can receive messages from the Lord.  As I am reading the scriptures or General Conference talks, or our Relief Society Manual, certain sentences make an impression on my soul, and I know and understand that God is emphasizing that part/verse for me. I have had visiting teachers and friends share messages with me that seem to be the Lord's voice talking to me, through them.

I started back into college a couple of weeks ago.  I am not sure why, but I have had some negative thoughts about school, whether or not I can complete all of the assignments, whether or not I want to complete all the assignments, that I am out of the ordinary and really old to be in college, that I have lists of other things in life that interest me that I am putting aside, and so on.  I am to blame for my thoughts and I need to fill my mind with positive thoughts instead.  So this is my background going into Sunday and first thing in the morning I read chapter 25 in the Gordon B. Hinckley manual and I read these thoughts:

Elder Hinckley practiced what would become a lifelong pattern: with faith, accept the challenge, plead with the Lord for help, then go to work.

God expects us to do something with our lives, and He will give us help when help is sought.

And so it is with our eternal journey.  We take one step at a time.  In doing so we reach toward the unknown, but faith lights the way.  Take the next step, even if you do not feel equal to it, and do so in faith with the full expectation that the Lord will light the way before you.

Stand on your feet and with a song in your heart move forward, living the gospel and loving the Lord.

Let us recognize that fear comes not of God, but rather that this gnawing, destructive element comes from the adversary of truth and righteousness.

It all works out.  Don't worry.  I say that to myself every  morning.  It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out.  Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future.  

Isn't that glorious advice?  I took it all personally, like Heavenly Father was speaking just to me.  And then at choir practice we sang these words:

When you are discouraged...Count your many blessings, name them one by one.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly.
Do not be discouraged, God is over all. Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

I took that to mean that I should start counting blessings instead of worries.  I must choose faith over fear!